but egypt's economy is on the ropes. across the region, political storm clouds ar gathering as iran, israel and eight arab countries hold crucial elections this year. >> in every one of them, a new form of right, far, far right is emerging as to change the balance of power. >> reporter: in his first term, barack obama said he was making the middle east peace process a priority, but middle east expert aaron david miller says don't get your hopes up for this term. >> the fact is if you -- if the administration tried to put mahmoud abbas and benjamin netanyahu down together, right now, or in february, at the negotiating table, the gaps between them are so large that they simply cannot be bridged and the u.s., yet again, will be revealed as an emperor without clothes. >> and when we come back, we'll talk to chris lawrence from the pentagon, get new information here about this hostage situation in algeria. this is this north african country where we're now hearing, confirmed by the state department, 40 hostages, being called